


The Last Case

by stressedoutdaily



Category: Sam & Max
Genre: Prompt from katie-wants-donut on tumblr, also inspired by toon-addict’s drawing (also on tumblr), prompt based on line from Madagascar 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 10:38:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18689815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressedoutdaily/pseuds/stressedoutdaily
Summary: Sam and Max are on one of their toughest cases to date, mostly because these criminals seem to be taking this whole “revenge” thing too seriously.





	The Last Case

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katie-wants-donut](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=katie-wants-donut).



> Thank you for the prompt katie and toon! I haven’t made a fanfic before, so give me feedback if you like!

 Sam awoke tied to a metal chair, his eyes straining to look around the new area. All he saw was the glowing blur of an orange light, and if he learned anything in his previous cases, he knew it was the fiery glimmer of a lighter. The unknown assailant inched the chair they sat in with a screech, much like the sound of nails down a chalkboard. Sam flinched a bit, before looking up at the person in question. The man had a cigarette in his mouth, his features reminding Sam of a much older and worn-out Flint Paper. Sam looked around, suddenly realizing he hadn’t heard a single sarcastic remark from his shark-toothed-clad pal.

 

 “Where’s Max?” Sam said, trying his best to sound as intimidating as possible while in his dazed stupor. The man chuckled, his head tilted down with his eyes still looking up into Sam’s with an almost pitiful stare. “Your furry little friend was givin’ some of my guys trouble, we’re taking _good_ care of him though, don’t worry.” His voice was icy, Sam took a moment to process what he had said, then began to struggle violently in his chair. “You better get your guys’ hands off him before I get to them!” Sam yelled, his voice echoing a bit. The man just sat there, arms resting on the head of the chair as he smirked. Sam sweated hard, stopping his struggle after realizing how hot the room was.

 

 The man got up, picking the chair up with ease as he placed it by a boiler Sam never noticed was there. He walked back over to Sam, slightly squatting with his hands on his thighs to keep him balanced. “See ya, Fido.” He sent one last smirk Sam’s way before walking out of the room, locking the door behind him.

 

 Sam sat there, still, thinking about Max. They hadn’t gotten a case in awhile before taking this one, which gave them time to reflect and relax, as they had gotten to appreciate those little moments in between. Sam started to worry more, his nervous curiosity crashing into his anger, only making him more restless. He struggled a bit more before feeling a sharp pain in his hand. He tried to look over his shoulder to see what was wrong, when he realized something. On their way back to the office, Max was trying to show off more of his stabbing skills with broken bottles, eventually cutting his hand. Sam took the glass shard, placing it in his inventory. He moved down on one knee, taking Max’s hand to inspect the wound. Max, however, was undeterred, even though he was a bit surprised by the action, stating now Sam could cut his hand and they could do the blood-brother ceremony he always wished for. Sam quipped with his classic, “You crack me up little buddy.” The memory made his heart swell, seeing Max’s signature sharp-toothed grin as he looked up, in what Sam hopes, was admiration.

 

 Sam, using his other hand, slipped the shard between his thumb and index, and began cutting the rope. As he sliced away, he looked up at the large vent, he hoped he could squeeze through. “I hope Max is okay…”

  


 Max woke up to a strange view, along with his head pounding. Someone’s feet just barely making it into view, but upside down. “Antigravity perhaps?” Max thought. He looked up, only to see he was stranded above a gigantic cement mixer. “Ah, so I’m upside down, that explains why my ability to feel anything below my waist is scarcely fleeting.” He tried to grab at his inventory, only to notice his body was wrapped with rope all the way down to his shins. He decided he should look around, as that would be something Sam would probably do. “Wait...SAM?!” Max yelled suddenly, finally noticing Sam was nowhere in sight, well, with little sight he had. His ears twitched a bit when he heard a small laugh behind him from the catwalk. A groan of gears and old mechanisms putting in work after years of no use echoed throughout the warehouse, as Max slowly moved back toward the voice. He stopped with a jerk, the man grabbing the rote he was suspended with, turning Max to face him.

 “You know, you remind me of someone I know! Yeah, really handsome and heroic, but you, I guess you got the last of the gene pool, not that there was much to begin with” Max said with a smile. The man squinted his eyes, grinning, “I wouldn’t be too cocky there, you are in a difficult situation at the moment.” Max laughed, “Oh this? Well, I’ve been in worse, I’ll be outta here pretty soon, then Sam and I will kick you and your goons asses!” “Really? Hm, that’s funny, last time I checked your friend was still tied up in that room, waiting for the gas to kick in.” The man gave Max a sickening smile. Max’s grin faltered slightly, but he quickly bounced back, “Couldn’t you have killed us in other ways? I mean, come _on_ , that dusty-old thing you call a brain all dried up?” The man’s smirk changed to a scowl, as he shoved Max away, his body swinging as another criminal pushed a button on the controls, moving Max back into position over the mixer. “I wouldn’t worry about that, besides, that thing down there’s full of gasoline, and I just love baked rabbit~” Max squinted his eyes in a frown, then winced at the sudden throb of pain in his head.

 

 “Ugh...man, I’m really lightheaded, there’s no way I’m getting outta this anytime soon, I just hope Sam's got a plan. In the meantime, I guess I can try to naw my own head off to escape!” Max said. “...I hope Sam’s okay…”

  


 Sam ducked behind a corner, avoiding the watchdogs patrolling the hallways. He swiftly moved throughout the building, until he heard what he thought was a cat being dragged across an escalator, before realizing it was Max singing. He felt his face turn up in a grin, silently pleading his little pal to continue with the tune. He arrived to an open door, he quietly and quickly hid behind a crate. “WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER~” Max yelled, as the man and a henchman clutched the sides of their heads. “AGH SHUT YOUR TRAP ALREADY!” The man screamed. Sam’s face fell, narrowing his eyes at the man in charge. He quickly pulled out his gun, aiming it straight at the man. “WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER!!!~” Max cries, practically screeching the last verse of the song. Sam’s hard frown softened, turning into a sincere smile as Max snickered from annoying the criminals. Great tearless astronauts! He couldn’t shoot the head criminal, the other would just dunk Max in whatever was in that mixer. He’d have to distract them enough for Max to be able to try and escape, but how?...

 

 “THAT’S IT! I’m dropping this pipsqueak into that mixer!” The henchmen exclaimed, but as he reached over towards the lever, the man hit his arm away in sudden rage. “No, idiot! This is _my_ kill! I’ve only lasted this long to get back at these assholes!”, he started laughing maniacally. “This is it! I’ll get rida you, _and_ that stupid dog! FINALLY! After so long, after all these years!” Max scowled, his razor teeth looking sharper, “What would Sam and I ever want with your wrinkly little hide?!” The man shot his attention at Max, looking like a complete manic, “Ohh, of course you wouldn’t remember, of course; I was _this_ close to getting that medal! MY MEDAL! But no, you two, the _hero’s_ as always got it, I WAS IN THE ARMY FOR THREE DECADES, and you both waltz in and STEAL IT FROM ME!!!” Nax grinned in sudden realization. “Ohh, your General Schultz! That was a medal? I thought they were giving us a chocolate coin! That explains why I kept coughing up metal shavings! And some blood time to time. ”The General’s face turned into an angry expression. “You ATE IT?!”, he ran over to the controls, about to pull the switch before Sam shot at the floor in front of him.

 “General Schultz, I have to say, I’m surprised you would turn to the dark side over something so miniscule.” Sam said as he climbed down the ladder, keeping his gun pointed at the General and his lackey. “Sam! I was hoping you’d become a zombie and come eat them! But this works too!” Max said, grinning a wide smile. Sam gave a heartfelt smile back, and returned his attention to General Schultz with a glare. “Thanks for the catch-up, but we best be going, I’ve got a cheesecake with my name on it!” Sam said while lowering the suspension holding up Max. Sam used the glass shard to cut Max loose, Max tried standing but he fell to his knees dizzy. Sam picked him up, sitting him on his shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze as a small hug. Max grinned and pet Sam’s head a little in return. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” General Schultz suddenly called out, now on the other side of the catwalk, holding out a lighter. Sam quickly pointed his gun, his grip on Max a little tighter, “This doesn’t have to end this way Schultz, why don’t you just back away?” “...Go ‘ta hell.” Schultz dropped the lighter, and at the same time Sam shot him in the chest, toppling the General over the railing of the catwalk. Max’s eyes went wide, then, he suddenly jumped off Sam’s shoulder, leaping to grab the lighter, just as it went past the rim into the mixer. “MAX!!!” Sam yelled, starting to reach towards Max, before he was blown back off the catwalk in a white explosion.

  


 Sam opened his eyes, his ears ringing and the back of his head stinging. He sat up slowly, seeing bits of metal around and on him. He looked at his arms, they had some pretty bad cuts on them. As his hearing cleared up, Sam heard the sound of grunting, followed by a dirty white hand trying to lift a piece of metal.“....Max?...MAX!” He shot up, running to Max, grabbing the metal sheet with two hands and hastily lifting it off of him. When Sam looked down at him, he felt his heart stop, slowly letting the metal slip from his weak grip. Max lay there, holding his chest where a deep painful wound lay across in a way Sam couldn’t bear to look at. His ear was shredded, few pieces of shrapnel barely visible. Various scrapes and cuts littered his frame, and he had his left eye shut tight, it was bleeding slightly. Sam fell onto his knees before Max, pulling him gently into his lap with his trembling hands. Max winced and groaned a bit when Sam lifted his ear up a bit, it was limp. “S-Sam? Sam, you okay?” Max said in a shaky voice. “Max... _Why_ Max... _Why_ _did_ _you_ _do_ _it?!_ Why?! Max...oh god, look at you!!!” Sam shook him a bit while he spoke, Max only gave him a look a scared abandoned kitten would give in a dark alley. He breathed deeply, just noticing that tears had begun to fall down his face. Sam pressed his head against Max’s as he silently sobbed, shutting his eyes tightly, wishing this was all just some cruel sick nightmare, and he would wake up to Max cuddled up against him in their bed, safe and sound. His thoughts were interrupted by Max moving his hands over Sam’s, and he opened his eyes, Max straining to say something. “Shh little buddy, save your energy, I-I’m gonna get you out of here, and you’ll get treated and-“ Max pressed his lips against Sam’s cheek, pulling away slowly, giving him a look Sam didn’t like one bit. “Sam, I just want you to know, it wasn’t the beating up crooks or solving cases that kept me going, Seeing you, everyday, that’s what kept me going.” Sam couldn’t hold it back any longer, he let out a shaky sob, as he softly kissed Max. Max kissed back in turn, weakly gripping Sam’s hands which now held up his head. Sam pulled away, giving Max a sad, broken laugh, and Max slowly smiled, closing his eyes, nuzzling into Sam’s palm.

 

 “I love you Sam…”

 “...I love you too Max…...Max?”


End file.
